Method for enabling bandwidth management for mobile content delivery

ABSTRACT

A system, method and device are disclosed for managing bandwidth in content delivery from a push content server to a wireless device. The system may include: a content server configurable to deliver content to the wireless device; a processor for controlling operation of the server; a communications subsystem coupled to the processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and a storage device coupled to the processor. The content server may include a module for managing bandwidth in content delivery from the content server to the wireless device, the module being configured to cause the content server to: record a policy for the delivery of content to the wireless device; initiate content delivery to the wireless device; evaluate the policy to determine whether new content for delivery is deliverable to the wireless device; deliver content when the policy is satisfied; and decline delivery of content when the policy is not satisfied.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. (Provisional) ApplicationNos. 61/051,071 (filed May 7, 2008), 61/051,079 (filed May 7, 2008) and61/058,221 (filed Jun. 3, 2008) respectively entitled Method forEnabling Bandwidth Management for Mobile Content Delivery, Method forEnabling the Customization of Ringtones Determined by the Type andCategory of Content Received, and Method for Disabling a Mobile ContentPlayer While a Mobile Device is in Motion. All of which are hereinincorporated by reference.

The disclosed method and system may operate in conjunction with theinventions described in pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser.Nos. 60/927,738, 60/008,819, 61/066,058, respectively entitled Methodand System for Pushing Content to Mobile Devices, Method and System forthe Delivery of Large Content Assets to a Smartphone Over a MobileNetwork and Method and System for Pushing Content to a Mobile DeviceWithout a Push Capable Environment, which are all incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This method and system relates to the field of delivery of content suchas graphics, audio and video to mobile devices for a mobile learningcontent player and the management of the bandwidth usage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently a mobile learning content player may transfer content from acontent server via either a push or pull model. The content may betransferred when the content delivery is initiated.

The current model for mobile content delivery may be limited in that itis not within the discretion of the content provider or mobile deviceuser to control a preferred mode of transmission, including wirelessfidelity (WiFi) source and/or tethered solutions. For example, there iscurrently no consideration given for monthly bandwidth traffic or amanner in which to limit or modify content usage from these sources.Similarly, there is presently no consideration given for data usage whenthe user is roaming.

Some of the resulting limitations are that users might exceed thecontractual data limits that are established with their wirelesscarriers and be forced to pay premium prices for the excess bandwidthusage. Similarly, content server administrators and/or users cannotlimit or modify the manner in which content is able to be received.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations thereto areintended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of therelated art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon areading of the specification and a study of the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be further understood from the followingdetailed description of embodiments of the invention, with reference tothe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows in block diagram form a wireless device suitable for havinga mobile content player in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows in block diagram form a communication system suitable forproviding the operating environment of the wireless device of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows in block diagram form the contents of a memory of thewireless device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating the wireless device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram illustrating aspects of a method forenabling bandwidth management for mobile content delivery in accordancewith an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention(s) there isprovided a Method for Enabling Bandwidth Management for Mobile ContentDelivery having: a content server configurable to deliver push contentto the wireless device; a processor for controlling operation of theserver; a communications subsystem coupled to the processor forcommunicating with a communications network; a memory coupled to theprocessor; and a storage device coupled to the processor. The contentserver may include one or more modules for managing bandwidth in contentdelivery from the content server to the wireless device, and the one ormore modules may be configured to cause the content server to: record apolicy for the delivery of content to the wireless device; initiatecontent delivery to the wireless device; evaluate the policy todetermine whether new content for delivery is deliverable to thewireless device; deliver content when the policy is satisfied; anddecline delivery of content when the policy is not satisfied.

According to another broad aspect, the policy is recorded to permitdelivery of content via a high cost connection when bandwidth usage iswithin a predetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined period oftime, and the policy is recorded to decline delivery of content via ahigh cost connection when bandwidth usage is outside of a predeterminedbandwidth range over a predetermined period of time. The content may bedelivered to the wireless device via at least one of a non-carriercommunication mode and tethered mode of transmission when bandwidthusage is outside of the predetermined bandwidth range.

According to another aspect, the content includes media files that havea relatively high transmission cost. The policy may also be set for agroup of users sharing pooled bandwidth, and the one or more modulescause the server to evaluate whether additional bandwidth is availablefrom the pool when the policy has been exceeded, calculate a new maximumbandwidth allotment using a formula based on the size of the remainingcontent, and communicate the new allotment to the wireless device.

In an embodiment, the policy may be based on at least one of: bandwidthavailable, bandwidth cost, type of content to be transmitted, size ofthe content to be transmitted and mode of transmission to the wirelessdevice, and the mode of transmission is at least one of: carrier,non-carrier, physically tethered and roaming.

In a further broad aspect, there may be provided a method for managingbandwidth in content delivery from a push content server to a wirelessdevice may include: recording a policy, on at least one of the contentserver and the wireless device, for delivery of content to the wirelessdevice; initiating content delivery to the wireless device; evaluatingthe policy to determine whether new content for delivery is deliverableto the wireless device; delivering content to the wireless device whenthe policy is satisfied; and declining delivery of content when thepolicy is not satisfied.

In a further aspect, the policy may be recorded to permit delivery ofcontent via a high cost connection when bandwidth usage is within apredetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined period of time, andthe policy is recorded to decline delivery of content via a high costconnection when bandwidth usage is outside of a predetermined bandwidthrange over a predetermined period of time; the content is delivered tothe wireless device via at least one of a non-carrier communication modeand tethered mode of transmission when bandwidth usage is outside of thepredetermined bandwidth range; declining is performed by one of theserver and the wireless device; and the method further comprisesphysically connecting the wireless device to a networked content sourcewhen the tethered mode of transmission is used.

According to another aspect, content is pushed to the wireless devicewithout user intervention, and the content includes media files thathave a relatively high transmission cost.

In an embodiment, the policy is set for a group of users sharing pooledbandwidth, and further comprising evaluating whether additionalbandwidth is available from the pool when the policy has been exceeded,calculating a new maximum bandwidth allotment using a formula based onthe size of the remaining content, and communicating the new allotmentto the wireless device.

According to a further aspect, the policy is based on at least one of:bandwidth available, bandwidth cost, type of content to be transmitted,size of the content to be transmitted and mode of transmission to thewireless device, and the mode of transmission is at least one of:carrier, non-carrier, physically tethered and roaming.

The policy may be recorded to permit delivery of content via a high costconnection when the content has a size within a predetermined range, andthe policy is set to decline delivery of content via a high costconnection when the content size is outside a predetermined range.

The policy may limit delivery based on at least one of the type ofcontent and the source of the content.

According to a further aspect, the method may include providing anotification on a display of the user device about the status of contentdelivery, and notifying the server when content delivery is declined.

According to a further aspect, the method may include queuing thecontent for later delivery after content delivery is declined, andperforming at least one of removing, transferring and deleting thecontent from the queue when the wireless device is connected via a lowcost connection.

The method may include reducing the rate of delivery of content beforedeclining delivery of content.

According to a further broad aspect, there may be provided wirelessdevice for managing bandwidth in content delivery from a push contentserver to the wireless device including: a processor for controllingoperation of the wireless device; a first input device coupled to theprocessor for accepting an input; at least one display device coupled tothe processor for communicating an output to the user; a communicationssubsystem coupled to the processor for communicating with acommunications network, the communications network including a at leastone content server configurable for delivering push content to thewireless device; a memory coupled to the processor; and a storage devicecoupled to the processor; and the wireless device may include one ormore modules for managing bandwidth in content delivery from a pushcontent server to the wireless device, the one or more modules beingconfigured to cause the wireless device to: record a policy for thedelivery of content to the wireless device; initiate content delivery tothe wireless device; evaluating the policy to determine whether newcontent for delivery is deliverable to the wireless device; acceptingdelivery of content when the policy is satisfied; and declining deliveryof content when the policy is not satisfied.

According to a further broad aspect, the policy is recorded to permitdelivery of content via a high cost connection when bandwidth usage iswithin a predetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined period oftime, and the policy is recorded to decline delivery of content via ahigh cost connection when bandwidth usage is outside of a predeterminedbandwidth range over a predetermined period of time; the content isdelivered to the wireless device via at least one of a non-carriercommunication mode and tethered mode of transmission when bandwidthusage is outside of the predetermined bandwidth range; and the wirelessdevice is physically connected to a networked content source when thetethered mode of transmission is used.

Further, the device may be configured to receive push content withoutuser intervention, and the content includes media files that have arelatively high transmission cost.

Additionally, the policy may be set for a group of users sharing pooledbandwidth, and the one or more modules cause the wireless device toevaluate whether additional bandwidth is available from the pool whenthe policy has been exceeded, calculate a new maximum bandwidthallotment using a formula based on the size of the remaining content,and communicate the new allotment to the server.

The policy may also be based on at least one of: bandwidth available,bandwidth cost, type of content to be transmitted, size of the contentto be transmitted and mode of transmission to the wireless device, andthe mode of transmission is at least one of: carrier, non-carrier,physically tethered and roaming.

Other and further advantages and features of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method and apparatus toenable the management of content transmitted to a wireless handhelddevice. Such method and apparatus are particularly useful whenrelatively large files are transferred. Large files, such as media fileswhich may include video and/or audio content, generally require greaterbandwidth than data based transmissions such as email or voicetransmissions. This generally greater demand on bandwidth may incur agreater transmission cost and/or overhead cost. Some service providersmay also limit or prohibit transmission of content once a certain volumeof data has been transmitted in a given period. The described method andapparatus may be used in conjunction with content sources, such ascorporate servers, to effectively transmit content to wireless devices,either wirelessly and/or via a wired connection. The subject method maybe employed by a server and administered by a content administratorwithout user intervention or input, in order to effectively push richmedia files to mobile devices.

It should be noted that reduction in “cost” is used herein to mean theimprovement, avoidance or reduction in a sacrifice, loss, penalty, orother undesirable factor. Reduction in cost may be an improvement inwhat must be performed, given, done or undergone to obtain something.“Cost” is not limited to financial cost, but may include the reductionof other costs such as performance or transmission overhead.

In the description, similar references are used in different figures todenote similar components. The term “push” is used herein to refer to amethod of content delivery to a wireless device that is automaticallydelivered by a content server without any action being required on thepart of the wireless device user or any polling of the server needed bythe wireless device.

The term “pull” is used herein to refer to a method of content deliveryto a wireless device that is initiated by the wireless device requestingthe content from a content server with or without any action beingrequired on the part of the wireless device user.

The term “pooling of bandwidth” is used herein to refer to a featureprovided by some wireless carriers of allowing an organization to gathertogether the contractual bandwidth allotment for their users into acommon total from which each user's consumption may be deducted tomaximize the use of the bandwidth available to the organization.

The following description begins with a general description of awireless device and communication system that may be used in conjunctionwith the method described herein. Further aspects of the method andrelated apparatus are then described.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram illustrating a portable wireless device 102that is suitable for including a mobile content player in accordancewith an aspect of the present disclosure. The terms mobile and wirelessdevice are used interchangeably herein.

The wireless or mobile device may including cellular telephones, mobilephones, smartphones, wireless laptop computers, a Blackberry™ device,personal digital assistants (PDAs), and pagers. These terms may be usedinterchangeably herein, and are so used without limiting the scope ofthe disclosure.

The wireless device 102 may communicate via a wireless communicationnetwork 104. The wireless network 104 may include one or more antennas,base stations, and supporting radio equipment for supporting wirelesscommunications between wireless device 102 and other devices connectedto wireless network 104. The wireless network 104 may be coupled to awireless network gateway and to a wide area network, shown in FIG. 2.

In an embodiment, the wireless device or mobile device 102 may be atwo-way communication device having at least voice and/or datacommunication capabilities, including the capability to communicate withother computer systems over a communication network. In an embodiment,the wireless device 102 may be a handheld device. Depending on thefunctionality provided by the wireless device 102, it may be referred toas a device including a data messaging device, a two-way pager, acellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internetappliance, a data communication device (with or without telephonycapabilities), a portable media or music player. The wireless device 102may communicate with any one of a plurality of transceiver stations.

The wireless device 102 may incorporate a communication subsystem 112,which includes a receiver 114, a transmitter 116, and associatedcomponents, such as one or more antenna elements 118 and 120, localoscillators (LOs) 122, and a processing module such as a digital signalprocessor (DSP) 124. In an embodiment, the antenna elements 118 and 120may be embedded or internal to the wireless device 102. The particulardesign of the communication subsystem 112 depends on the wirelessnetwork 104 in which the wireless device 102 is intended to operate.

The wireless device 102 may send and receive communication signals overthe wireless network 104 after the required network registration oractivation procedures have been completed. Signals received by theantenna 118 through the wireless network 104 are input to the receiver114, which may perform such common receiver functions as signalamplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, and channelselection, as well as analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. A/D conversionof a received signal allows more complex communication functions such asdemodulation and decoding to be performed in the DSP 124. In a similarmanner, signals to be transmitted are processed, including modulationand encoding, for example, by the DSP 124. These DSP-processed signalsare input to the transmitter 116 for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion,frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification, and transmission tothe wireless network 104 via the antenna 120. The DSP 124 not onlyprocesses communication signals, but also provides for receiver andtransmitter control. For example, the gains applied to communicationsignals in the receiver 114 and the transmitter 116 may be adaptivelycontrolled through automatic gain control algorithms implemented in theDSP 124.

Network access is associated with a subscriber or user of the wirelessdevice 102 via a memory module, such as a memory module 130, which maybe a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use in a GSM network or aUSIM card for use in a UMTS. The SIM card is inserted in or otherwiseconnected to an interface 132 of the wireless device 102 in order tooperate in conjunction with the wireless network 104. Alternatively, thewireless device 102 may have an integrated identity module for use withsystems such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems.

The wireless device 102 also includes an interface 136 for receivingpower including one or more batteries such as rechargeable batteries138. The battery 138 provides electrical power to at least some of theelectrical circuitry in the wireless device 102, and the batteryinterface 136 provides a mechanical and electrical connection for thebattery 138. The battery interface 136 is coupled to a regulator (notshown) which provides power V+ to the circuitry of the wireless device102.

The wireless device 102 includes a microprocessor 140 which controls theoverall operation of the wireless device 102. Communication functions,including at least data and voice communications, are performed throughthe communication subsystem 112. The microprocessor 140 also interactswith additional device subsystems such as a display 142, a flash memory144, a random access memory (RAM) 146, a read-only memory (ROM) 148,auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems 150, a Universal Serial Bus(USB) port 152, a keyboard or keypad 154, a speaker or audio port 156for connecting to, for example a set of headphones, a microphone 158,input device such as a clickable thumbwheel, trackball, thumbwheel, orset of scroll buttons 160, a short-range communications subsystem 162,and any other device subsystems generally designated as 164. Some of thesubsystems shown in FIG. 1 perform communication-related functions,whereas other subsystems may provide “resident” or on-device functions.Notably, some subsystems, such as the keypad 154, the display 142, andthe clickable thumbwheel or trackball 160, for example, may be used forboth communication-related functions, such as entering a text messagefor transmission over the wireless network 104, and executingdevice-resident functions such as a calculator or task list. Operatingsystem software used by the microprocessor 140 is preferably stored in apersistent store such as the flash memory 144, which may alternativelybe the ROM 148 or similar storage element. The operating system,specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarilyloaded into a volatile store such as the RAM 146.

The microprocessor 140, in addition to its operating system functions,enables execution of software applications on the wireless device 102. Apredetermined set of applications that control basic device operations,including data and voice communication applications, will normally beinstalled on the wireless device 102 during or after manufacture. Thewireless device 102 may include a personal information manager (PIM)application having the ability to organize and manage data itemsrelating to a user such as, but not limited to, instant messaging,email, calendar events, voice mails, appointments, and task items. Oneor more memory stores may be available on the wireless device 102 tofacilitate storage of information, such as the flash memory 144, the RAM146, the ROM 148, the memory module 130, or other types of memorystorage devices or FLASH memory cards represented by the other devicesubsystems 164, such as Secure Digital (SD) cards, mini SD cards, andmicro SD cards.

The PIM and/or media applications have the ability to send and receivedata items with other systems, for example, via either the wirelessnetwork 104 or a link to a computer system. The link to the computersystem may be via the serial port 152 or the short-range communicationssubsystem 162. Additional applications may also be loaded onto thewireless device 102 through the wireless network 104, the auxiliary I/Osubsystem 150, the serial port 152, the short-range communicationssubsystem 162, or any other suitable subsystem 164, and installed by auser in the RAM 146 or a non-volatile store such as the ROM 148 forexecution by the microprocessor 140. Such flexibility in applicationinstallation may increase the functionality of the wireless device 102and may provide enhanced on-device functions, communication-relatedfunctions, or both. For example, secure communication applications mayenable electronic commerce functions and other such financialtransactions to be performed using the wireless device 102.

In a data communication mode, a received data signal representinginformation such as a text message, an email message, a media file to betransferred, or Web page download will be processed by the communicationsubsystem 112 and input to the microprocessor 140. The microprocessor140 will further process the signal for output to the display 142 oralternatively to the auxiliary I/O device 150. A user of the wirelessdevice 102 may also compose data items, such as email messages, forexample, using an input device such as the keypad 154 and/or theclickable thumbwheel or trackball 160 in conjunction with the display142 and possibly the auxiliary I/O device 150. The keypad 154 may be anysuitable input device including a complete alphanumeric keypad or apartial keypad such as telephone-type keypad.

For voice communications, the overall operation of the wireless device102 is similar, except that the received signals may be output to thespeaker or audio port 156 and signals for transmission may be generatedby a transducer such as the microphone 158. Alternative voice or audioI/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also beimplemented on the wireless device 102. Although voice or audio signaloutput is typically accomplished primarily through the speaker or audioport 156, the display 142 may also be used to provide an indication ofthe identity of a calling party, duration of a voice call, or othervoice call related information. Headphones, external speaker or othersound producing device may be used in place of the speaker 156.

The serial port 152 may be employed in a personal digital assistant(PDA) type communication device for which synchronization with a user'salternative data source, such as a computer is a desirable. The serialport 152 enables a user to set preferences through an external device orsoftware application and extends the capabilities of the wireless device102 by providing for information, media file, or software communication,including downloads to or uploads from the wireless device 102 otherthan through the wireless network 104.

The short-range communications subsystem 162 is an additional optionalcomponent which provides for communication between the wireless device102 and different systems or devices, which need not necessarily besimilar devices. For example, the subsystem 162 may include an infrareddevice and associated circuits and components, or a wireless busprotocol compliant communication mechanism such as a Bluetooth™communication module to provide for communication with similarly-enabledsystems and devices (Bluetooth™ is a registered trademark of BluetoothSIG, Inc.). In another embodiment, the short-range communicationssubsystem 162 may be a wireless networking communications subsystem,conforming to IEEE 802.11 standards such as 802.11b, 802.11g, and/or802.11n.

FIG. 2 shows a communication system 200 suitable for use with thewireless device 102 shown in FIG. 1. The communication system 200 mayinclude one or more wireless devices 102 (only one of which is shown inFIG. 2) and a wireless network 104. The wireless network 104 may includea wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) 202, a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) 204, and/or other interfaces 206 (which are not necessarilywireless).

The wireless WAN 202 may be implemented as a packet-based cellular ormobile network that includes a number of base stations 208 (one of whichis shown in FIG. 2) where each of the base stations 208 provideswireless radio frequency (RF) coverage to a corresponding area or cell.The wireless WAN 202 is typically operated by a cellular network serviceprovider that sells subscription packages to users of the wirelessdevices 102. The wireless WAN 202 comprises a number of different typesof networks, for example, Mobitex Radio Network, DataTAC, GSM (GlobalSystem for Mobile Communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio System),TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), CDMA (Code Division MultipleAccess), CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data), iDEN (integrated DigitalEnhanced Network) or various other third generation (or higher) networkssuch as EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution), UMTS (UniversalMobile Telecommunications Systems), Third Generation Partnership Project(3GPP or 3G), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), or 4G.

The communications system 200 may also include a wireless networkgateway 210 and one or more network provider systems 212. The wirelessnetwork gateway 210 provides translation and routing services betweenthe network provider system(s) 212 and the WAN 202, which facilitatescommunication between the wireless devices 102 and other devices (notshown) connected, directly or indirectly, to the network provider system212.

The WLAN 204 comprises a network which may conform to IEEE 802.11standards such as 802.11b, 802.11g, and/or 802.11n; however, othercommunications protocols may also be used for the WLAN 204. The WLAN 204includes one or more wireless RF Access Points (AP) 214 (one of which isshown in FIG. 2) that collectively provide a WLAN coverage area. For theembodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the WLAN 204 is operated by an enterprise(for example, a business or university in a building or campus typeenvironment) and the access points 214 are connected to an access point(AP) interface 216. The AP interface 216 provides translation androuting services between the access points 214 and the network providersystem 212 to facilitate communication between two or more of thewireless devices 102 and other devices (e.g., such as desktop computers)connected, directly or indirectly, to the network provider system 212.The AP interface 216 is implemented using a computer, for example, aserver running a suitable computer program or software.

According to an embodiment, the other interfaces 206 may be implementedusing a physical interface indicated by reference 218. The physicalinterface 218 includes an Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB),Firewire, or infrared (IR) connection implemented to exchangeinformation between the network provider system 212 and the wirelessdevice 102.

The network provider system 212 comprises a server or server modules ora number of servers or server modules which are typically located behinda firewall (not shown). The network provider system 212 may include anumber of modules including a mobile data delivery module 220. Variousmodules running on the network provider system 212 may be implemented asa number of services running on a single server or as a number ofinterconnected servers each running a software program to implement thefunctionality of the respective module. The network provider system 212provides access for the wireless devices 102, through either thewireless WAN 202, the WLAN 204, or the other connection 206 to thedevices connected, for example, through an enterprise network 224 (e.g.,an intranet), to the network provider system 212. In an embodiment, thedata delivery module 220 may be implemented on a computer, such as thenetwork provider system 212.

The enterprise network 224 may include a local area network, anintranet, the Internet, a direct connection, or combinations thereof.The enterprise network 224 may include an intranet for a corporation orother type of organization. In at least some embodiments, the networkprovider system 212 is part of the enterprise network 224, and islocated behind a corporate firewall and connected to the wirelessnetwork gateway 210 through the Internet. A computer 222 (e.g., adesktop or laptop computer) belonging to the user of the wireless device102 may be connected to the enterprise network 224. As describedearlier, the wireless device 102 may be temporarily and directlyconnected to the computer 222 using, for example, the serial port 152.This direct connection may make use of a cradle or docking stationconnected to a serial port of the computer 222, where the mobile device102 is placed in the cradle, therefore completing the serial or otherphysical connection between the mobile device 102 and the computer 222.Alternatively, the wireless device 102 may communicate with the computer222 using a non-physical connection such as the communication subsystem112 and the WAN 202 and/or the short-range communications subsystem 162and the WLAN 204.

An application/content server 226 may be connected to the enterprisenetwork 224 and also to another network, for example a Wide Area Network(WAN) 228. In some embodiments, an email server 232 and/or the contentserver 226 form part of the enterprise network 224. The WAN 228 mayfurther connect to other networks. The WAN 228 may comprise or beconfigured with the Internet, a direct connection, a LAN, a wirelesscommunication link, or any combination thereof. Content providers, suchas Web servers, may be connected to the WAN 228, an example of which isshown in FIG. 2 as an origin server 230.

According to an embodiment, the mobile data delivery module 220 providesconnectivity between the wireless WAN 202 and the WLAN 204 and the otherconnection 206 and devices and/or networks connected directly orindirectly to the network provider system 212. In one embodiment, theconnectivity provided may be Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) basedconnectivity providing an Internet based service connection to devicesconnected to the wireless WAN 202, the WLAN 204, or the other connection206 and devices and/or networks connected directly or indirectly to thenetwork provider system 212. The network 224, the application/contentserver 226, the WAN 228, and the origin server 230, are individuallyand/or collectively in various combinations a content source for thenetwork provider system 212. The system shown in FIG. 2 includes but oneof many examples of a communication network or configuration for usewith the wireless devices 102.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram illustrating a memory 300 of the wirelessdevice 102. The memory 300 may include various software components forcontrolling the wireless device 102 and may include, for example, flashmemory 144, RAM 146, ROM 148, memory module 130 and/or the other devicesubsystems 164. In accordance with an embodiment, the wireless device102 may be a multi-tasking wireless communications device configured forsending and receiving data items and for making and receiving voicecalls that also include various applications enabling users to listen tomusic, watch video files, play games, view picture files, and surf theinternet wirelessly. To provide a user-friendly environment to controlthe operation of the wireless device 102, an operating system (OS) 302resident on the wireless device 102 may provide a complex or basic setof operations, as needed, for supporting various applications, which maybe operable through a graphical user interface (GUI) 304. For example,the operating system 302 may provide basic input/output system featuresto obtain input from the auxiliary I/O 150, the keypad 154, the inputdevice 160, and/or other input devices, and to facilitate output to theuser, for example, via the display 142. The GUI 304 is typically acomponent of the operating system 302. One or more software modules 306for managing communications or providing a personal digital assistant(PDA) or other functions may also be included. The memory 300 may alsoinclude an email and calendar client, which may be combined in, forexample, a PIM application having email-based calendaring and schedulingfunctions. Typically, the PIM is installed as one of the softwaremodules 306.

The memory 300 may also include a content player 308, which may also bereferred to as a content delivery module, or content management module.In one example, a mobile content player 308 may be integrated into theoperating system 302. Alternatively, the module 308 may be a separatesoftware component, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The mobile content player308 may be responsible for managing push (or pull) content delivery frommultiple servers from the perspective of the wireless device 102 and/orplaying the content delivered from the multiple servers, or otherwisedelivered or stored in the device 102. Other components such as thesoftware modules 306 or operating system 302 may be configured formanaging push (or pull) content delivery.

Thus, the wireless device 102 may include computer executable programmedinstructions for directing the wireless device 102 to implement variousapplications. The programmed instructions may be embodied in the one ormore software modules 306 resident in the memory 300 of the wirelessdevice 102. Alternatively, the programmed instructions may be tangiblyembodied or stored on a computer readable medium (such as a DVD, CD,floppy disk or other storage media) which may be used for transportingthe programmed instructions to the memory 300 of the wireless device102. Alternatively, the programmed instructions may be embedded orcarried in a computer-readable, signal-bearing medium that is uploadedto the wireless network 104 by a vendor or supplier of the programmedinstructions, and this signal-bearing medium may be downloaded throughone or more of the interfaces 112, 150, 152, 162 to the wireless device102 from, for example, the wireless network 104 by end users.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the wireless device 102. As mentionedabove, the wireless device 102 may be a data and/or voice-enabledhandheld device. The wireless device 102 may include a casing 402, thedata or serial port 152, the display screen 142, the graphical userinterface (GUI) 304, the keypad 154, the input device (e.g., clickablethumbwheel or scroll buttons) 160 a or other device for navigation suchas a trackball 160 b, one or more input buttons 404 (e.g., select,cancel, talk, play, stop, fast forward, rewind, next, previous buttons),signal inputs/outputs 406 (e.g., direct wire connection or inductivecoupling power connector input, microphone, speaker, data interfaceinput, etc.), and an audio port 407. Additionally, the wireless device102 may have a number of navigation control buttons represented bynumerals 409 a and 409 b. The navigation control buttons 409 may providea number of functions such as a send and/or end key for a mobiletelephone application of the wireless device 102, a menu key, an escapekey. The functions of the navigation control buttons 409 may be userconfigurable. Internally, the wireless device 102 may include one ormore circuit boards (not shown), the microprocessor 140 (FIG. 1), thememory 300 (FIG. 3), the battery 138 (FIG. 1), and the antennae 118, 120(FIG. 1), which may all be coupled to the signal inputs/outputs 406, thekeypad 154, the display screen 142, the clickable thumbwheel 160.

The microprocessor 140 may be coupled to one or more input devices(e.g., the buttons 404, the keypad 154, the clickable thumbwheel 160 a,the trackball 160 b) for receiving user commands or queries and thedisplay 142 for displaying the results of these commands or queries. Forexample, user queries may be transformed into a combination of commandsfor producing one or more tables of output data which may beincorporated in one or more display pages for presentation to the user.The microprocessor 140 is also coupled to the memory 300.

A user may interact with the wireless device 102 and its softwaremodules 306 using the GUI 304. The GUI 304 is controlled by theoperating system 302 (FIG. 3) and provides a display format enabling theuser to choose commands, execute application programs, manage computerfiles, and perform other functions by selecting pictorialrepresentations (i.e., icons), or selecting items from a menu throughthe use of an input or pointing device such as the clickable thumbwheel160 and/or the keypad 154. Generally, the GUI 304 is used to conveyinformation and receive commands from users and generally includes avariety of GUI objects or controls including icons, toolbars, drop-downmenus, pop-up menus, text, dialog boxes, buttons, etc. A user typicallyinteracts with the GUI 304 presented on the display 142 by using aninput or pointing device to position a pointer or cursor 408 over anobject 410 (i.e., “pointing” at the object) and by “clicking” on theobject 410 (e.g., by depressing the thumbwheel 160 or a button on thekeyboard 154, etc.). This is often referred to as a point-and-click orselection operation. Typically, the object 410 may be highlighted (e.g.,shaded) when it is selected or pointed at by the pointer or cursor 408to indicate that the object 410 is selectable.

Typically, a GUI-based system presents application, status, and otherinformation to the user in windows appearing on the display 142. Awindow 412 is a display area shown within the display 142, typicallyrectangular, in which a user may view an application or document. Thewindow 412 may be open, closed, displayed full screen, reduced to anicon, increased or reduced in size, or moved to different areas of thedisplay 142. Multiple windows 412 may be displayed simultaneously. Forexample, the windows 412 may be displayed within other windows,overlapped with other windows, or tiled within the display area.

FIG. 5 shows in flow chart form, a method of effectively managing thecontent provided by communication network 104 to mobile device 102. Themethod may be employed to limit the bandwidth usage of mobile device 102within a specific timeframe or based on some other criterion orcriteria. The method may be used in conjunction with either push or pullcontent delivery.

Beginning at block 510, a content server administrator of a contentprovider may set a bandwidth usage policy or content delivery policy forthe content server host, such as content server 226. A policy may be setat some other source including network 224, WAN 228, origin server 230,email server 232, or even by an internet service provider (ISP). Thispolicy may be set for an individual user, individual (or all) userswithin that host, a group of users (however defined, e.g., sales staff,group, club, division, team, company, or subsidiary), or some otherindividual or group receiving content. Alternatively, a bandwidth usagepolicy may be deactivated or selectively employed for such users or setas a default for users of one or more content servers.

The policy may be set depending upon the delivery method used todistribute content. Transmission using delivery methods such as carrier,non-carrier (e.g., WiFi), tethered or roaming may be affected by thepolicy. For example, the policy set for transmission of content whilethe user is roaming (e.g., beyond the range of the user's serviceprovider) may be set more restrictively (for reasons such as cost), thanfor transmission via a tethered connection, which may have a lessrestrictive (or no) policy set. Users may be permitted to only receivecontent when one or a subset of content delivery methods are used. Forexample, a policy may be set so that content is only delivered to a userwhen a non-carrier or tethered content delivery method is accessed bythe mobile device. Policies may also be set regardless of the deliverymedium.

The bandwidth policy may include a maximum amount of bandwidth availableto a user or group. For example, a user or group may be provided with adata transfer limit within a selected regular or irregular timeframe(e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, during peak usage times, ordepending upon real time or predicted bandwidth availability). Limitsmay be set based on a fixed number such as: no more than X bytes of datain a month may be transferred. The actual limit may be any suitable datalimit, such as business motivated limits (e.g., to maintain capacity inthe network, or to manage data transmission costs). The bandwidth limitmay also be dynamic and fluctuate in accordance with one or morecriteria, such as the daily or expected cost of bandwidth per unit ofdata.

“Low cost” and “high cost” are relative terms which depend upon context.For example, transmission of relatively small content after bandwidthlimits have been reached may be considered high cost. Conversely,transmission of relatively large content over a tethered connection maybe considered low cost, even if bandwidth limits have been reached. Thedescription of cost is therefore not limited to strictly defined modesof transmission or content size.

In block 520, a mobile device user who has been granted the rights tochange the policy for him or herself, and/or other users (or group ofusers) may additionally, or alternatively, be permitted to set a morerestrictive bandwidth policy for receiving content to their mobiledevices. The bandwidth policy can identify the limits on bandwidthusage. The policy may also indicate whether it pertains to purelywireless usage and/or if the policy also pertains to non-carrierwireless usage, such as WiFi, and/or other types of connections such astethered connections. Tethered connections may include connections wherethe mobile device is physically connected (e.g., by serial cable) to apersonal computer (e.g., the personal computer 222 of FIG. 2) or otherdevice, which in turn is connected to the internet, network or othercontent source. The policy may also apply to content delivery whileroaming, for example, on other networks (which may include higher usagefees). The policy may be set to reduce or minimize costs associated withdata transmission.

As noted, the bandwidth limits may be predetermined as static (e.g., Xbytes) or dynamic (e.g., when bandwidth is scarce or unavailable, whendata transmission costs are above $X per unit of data).

Policy criteria may be applied to an individual user or across a groupof users. For example, if the total bandwidth is pooled and shared by agroup of users, and the bandwidth used exceeds X, then transmission isreduced or stopped for all users. Hence, a user in a group who uses nobandwidth may be prevented from downloading content because other usersin the group may have collectively reached the maximum.

The size of content to be delivered may also be used to determine theset policy. For example, the policy for the transmission of content of agiven size (or type) may be set restrictively for larger content (e.g.,the policy may prevent delivery when the mobile device is roaming), andless restrictively for smaller content (e.g., unlimited delivery whenthe mobile device is tethered).

Once the policy is set, content may be delivered to a user in block 530.When content is delivered to the mobile device 102 from the contentprovider server 226, the mobile content player 308 (or other componentof mobile device 102, such as the operating system 302) may beconfigured to compare the current bandwidth used within the timeframe tothe limitation set in the policy. Alternatively (or additionally), thecontent server 226 may be configured to compare the current bandwidthused within the timeframe to the limitation set on the policy. Policiesmay be available to or communicated to the user.

Multiple policies may also apply. For example, a more permissivetransmission policy may apply before a first bandwidth limit has beenreached (e.g., transmission of content is permitted regardless oftransmission medium), and another policy may apply beyond a secondbandwidth limit (e.g., transmission via tethered connection only).Additional policies may apply for different bandwidth levels and/orcontent types.

The comparison to determine if a policy has been satisfied may becarried out in block 540. If the mobile content player 308 has alreadyreceived content equal to or greater than the amount set in the policy,then the player declines to receive further content in block 550 (and/orthe server 226 stops transmitting content). Mobile content player 308may be configured to communicate to the content provider that the userhas exceeded the specified download or bandwidth limit. In the casewhere server 226 manages the transmission, it may be configured tocommunicate to the content provider that the user has exceeded thespecified download or bandwidth limit.

If the mobile content player has not reached the limit, then the contentis delivered in block 560. While assessment may end at block 570, theassessment of content delivery and compliance with a policy may beiterative, and processing may continue at block 530 via path 572 foradditional content. Alternatively, the policy set by the administratorin block 510 or user in block 520 may be iteratively assessed for anychanges, via path 574, before proceeding to additional content deliveryin block 530.

Content player 308 may also be configured to communicate warnings (e.g.,via email or notifications displayed via GUI 304) to the user (or otherparty such as the system administrator) as the download or bandwidthlimit is being reached.

In block 580, if the content is not accepted (or delivered) due tobandwidth limitations, then the user and/or other party) (such as thesystem administrator) is notified that the content cannot be delivereddue to having met or exceeded the bandwidth limits (or otherwiseviolating the policy).

In block 590, the server 226 may be notified that content was notdelivered due to bandwidth limits.

If the content server 226 is notified that the mobile content could notbe delivered due to bandwidth limitations (block 590), or some otherreason such as the device memory is full, then the content server may beconfigured in two ways. The content server 226 may be configured toeither (1) keep the content in the delivery queue (block 600), to waituntil the mobile content user (or in an embodiment some other designatedor authorized party) can receive or retrieve the content, or (2) thecontent server can be configured to remove, transfer or delete thecontent from the queue. One or more of these options may be selected bythe content server administrator (and/or other suitable party, such asthe end user). If the content is not retrieved, then processing may endin block 610. Alternatively, processing of additional content maycontinue from one or more of blocks 550, 580, 590 or 600 in a mannersimilar to that shown following block 570 (not shown; see paths 572 and574 in FIG. 5).

In block 620, if the content has been declined in block 550 due tobandwidth limitations or for not satisfying a policy condition, then thecontent server administrator (or user, depending upon configuration) mayenable an option that allows the user to retrieve the queued contentwhen the user satisfies one or more of the following conditions:

-   -   The present bandwidth period expires, and a new bandwidth period        starts, in which case more bandwidth becomes available;    -   The mobile device 102 connects (either automatically or        manually) to a non-carrier wireless network such as a WiFi        network (e.g., the WLAN 204); or    -   The mobile device 102 is tethered to a network, such as a        personal computer 222 connected to the internet.

Other suitable criteria or conditions may be employed. Criteria also maybe used in combination with those listed above. For example, the policymay limit or prevent content delivery when the mobile device 102operates on a third party network (e.g., while roaming), or if themobile device 102 is operated in a certain jurisdiction (e.g., Mexico).

In block 630, if one or more of these conditions are met, the user mayview the queued content on the content server (if this option isavailable) and select the content that they would like to havedelivered. Alternatively, the content may be automatically provided tothe user upon the condition being met. The remaining content is removedfrom the delivery queue.

Processing may end in block 640. Alternatively, processing of additionalcontent may continue in a manner similar to that shown following block570 (not shown; see paths 572 and 574 in FIG. 5).

If pooling of bandwidth is employed, then the central content server 226may calculate the collective amount of remaining bandwidth available.When a content package is requested for download to a mobile contentplayer 308 (or a specific wireless device 102), then the central contentserver 226 may determine the maximum allotted bandwidth for the wirelessdevice 102 and communicate this allotment to the mobile device 102. Themaximum allotted bandwidth may be determined by a formula based off ofthe size of the requested content package and allowing for apredetermined number of retries or errors.

Once the mobile content player 308 has completed receiving the contentpackage, then the central content server 226 may be notified, forexample with a completion message, of the actual usage of allottedbandwidth. The actual usage may then be used to calculate totalremaining bandwidth available.

If the mobile content player 308 reaches a limit for the bandwidthallotted for that content package, the player 308 may then send arequest to the central content server 226 requesting additionalbandwidth for the content package. If additional bandwidth is availablefrom the pool, then the central content server 226 may send a newmaximum bandwidth allotment to the mobile content player 308 using aformula based on the size of the remaining content package data. If therequested content package exceeds the total available using the poolingof bandwidth then central content server 226 will notify the mobilecontent player 308 that the bandwidth has been exceeded.

As noted above, other components such as software modules 306 oroperating system 302 may perform the management functions describedherein for player 308.

The system and method described may be employed when a content serveradministrator and/or a user want to limit data usage. The system andmethod may be used by a mobile content player 308 to manage (or limit)the bandwidth of delivered mobile content from content providers. Forexample, the amount of monthly bandwidth that is available may berestricted for the mobile content player 308 to receive deliveredcontent to ensure that a monthly data plan is not exceeded. Similarly,the amount of content from training systems (or content publishers)where courses are delivered to mobile users or groups, may be managedusing the disclosed system and method. For training systems, the contentpublishers may include compliance content providers, internal companytraining materials, or external content publishers. Intermittent orregular video or audio messages from company personnel, such as a chiefexecutive officer, may be effectively pushed (or pulled) to a mobiledevice by employing appropriate policies as described herein. Policiesmay also be employed to limit the amount of content delivered from newsreaders through RSS feeds delivered from content publishers, or to limitthe amount of delivered video and audio files from content publishers,such as a news site.

The source of the content may also be used to set policies fortransmission. For example, certain publishers, servers, or web sites maybe used to set transmission limits in conjunction with, or independentlyof, the criteria described above.

The foregoing concepts generalize to the management of content deliveryfrom a server to a mobile device in a multitude of contexts for nearlyany type of content that may be transmitted.

Ring Tones

There may also be provided a method for enabling the customization ofring tones which may be determined by the type and category of contentreceived.

Delivery of content such as graphics, audio and video to mobile devicesand the audible notifications (e.g. a Ringtone on a Blackberry™ device)emitted upon receipt of the content.

The disclosed method permits a mobile device user or content publisherto specify different ringtones for the receipt of different content. Theringtones can be set for each:

-   -   Type of content    -   Source of content    -   Category of content    -   Priority of content

This may allow improvements such as:

-   -   The mobile device user or content publisher can configure their        mobile content player to play a specific ringtone to notify the        mobile device user that mobile content has been received.    -   The mobile device user or content publisher can configure their        mobile content player to select a ringtone to notify the mobile        device user for each type/source/category/priority of mobile        content.    -   The mobile content author/publisher can determine the priority        and category of items to trigger the different ringtone for        those mobile device users that have it configured.    -   A content provider can select a default ringtone for each        type/source/category/priority of mobile content.

The default ringtone may be used by the mobile content player to notifythe mobile device user of delivered content. If the mobile device userhas been provided the option, then they may customize the ringtones ontheir mobile device that will supersede the default ring tones. Thisoption may be disabled by the content server administrator.

Upon receipt of the mobile content delivered by the content provider,the mobile device will emit a custom audible notification (e.g. theringtone) that is associated to the specific:

-   -   Type of content    -   Source of content    -   Category of content    -   Priority of content

that has been received based on the mobile device user selected ordefault ringtones. The ringtone will be delivered with the content fromthe content publisher if the ringtone is not already available on themobile device.

Applications of this Technology

This technology can be used by a mobile content player to differentiatemobile content that is delivered to it and notify the userappropriately. This allows the mobile device user to determine ringtonenotifications for differing mobile contenttype/source/category/priority. Practical applications of this inventioninclude:

-   -   Training systems where courses are delivered to mobile device        users and groups from multiple content publishers. For training        systems the content publishers can indicate higher priority        content as well as the mobile content category.    -   News readers through RSS feeds will allow the mobile device user        to configure ringtones to identify which feeds have updated        content (e.g. the sound of cars going by on a track for racing        news, or the crack of a bat for baseball sports news)    -   Receiving video and audio files from multiple content        publishers, such as any news site. The mobile device user will        be able to determine which site, which type of content as well        as the category of the content (i.e. political news, business        news, etc. from CNN, Reuters, etc.)    -   Any content delivered to the mobile content player can be        audibly identified based on the user's or content provider's        configuration of ringtones without having to physically check        their mobile device.

Disabling Player

There may also be provided a method for disabling a mobile contentplayer while a mobile device is in motion. Content such as graphics,audio and video may be delivered to mobile devices for a mobile contentplayer while the mobile device is in motion.

There is provided a method for a mobile content player to determine thespeed at which the mobile device is travelling and to disable the mobilecontent player if the user is moving faster than predetermined speed.This is intended as a safety feature to prevent distraction whileoperating a vehicle that is in motion.

The mobile content player uses the GPS within the mobile device todetect the rate of movement as a formula of distance over time. If themobile device is exceeding a pre-set rate of movement, then the mobilecontent player will provide the user with a warning indicating that itis unsafe to operate the mobile content player while operating a movingvehicle. The content server administrator creates the policy includingthe settings and can allow the mobile device user to disable thisfeature or make the settings more restrictive.

This feature may be configured to either provide a warning or to disablethe mobile content player. The mobile content player uses the GPSfunctionality that is built into the mobile device to determine the rateof movement of the mobile device. This determination is accomplished bypolling the GPS function at a preset interval and calculating thecurrent location with the previous location. This information will thenbe used in a formula to determine the distance traveled within that timeframe and therefore the relative rate of movement. This feature allowsthe content server administrator to create a policy with the followingsettings for one or more mobile devices.

The content server administrator can configure the rate of movement thatwill trigger this invention. The content server administrator may alsoconfigure the mobile content player to either provide a warning to theuser, either audible, visual or through some other mechanism, or todisable the mobile content player.

The content server administrator may configure the mobile content playerto provide a warning regarding operation of the mobile device once apre-set rate of movement has been exceeded and then to disable themobile content player once a preset, faster rate of movement has beenexceeded.

The content server administrator may set the policy to allow the user toeither override the policy settings or to change the policy settings tobe more restrictive, but not less.

Applications of this Technology

This technology may be used by a mobile content player to help a userreduce distractions while in motion. Applications of this inventioninclude:

-   -   The mobile content player warns the user of the possibility of        distraction when travelling faster than a pre-set rate of        movement.    -   The mobile content player automatically disables itself once the        mobile device is travelling faster than a pre-set rate of        movement.    -   Commercial vehicle operators may receive important updates while        en route and there would be a safety issue with the reading the        content while operating the vehicle (i.e. Truck Drivers        receiving delivery updates, Mail Carriers receiving route update        information, Taxi Drivers)

While the foregoing embodiments of the invention(s) have been describedin some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will beappreciated by one skilled in the art, that numerous modifications,variations, and adaptations may be made to the particular embodiments ofthe invention described above without departing from the scope of theinvention, which is defined in the following claims.

1. A system for managing bandwidth in content delivery from a pushcontent server to a wireless device, the system comprising: a contentserver configurable to deliver push content to the wireless device, aprocessor for controlling operation of the server; a communicationssubsystem coupled to the processor for communicating with acommunications network; a memory coupled to the processor; and a storagedevice coupled to the processor; the content server including one ormore modules for managing bandwidth in content delivery from the contentserver to the wireless device, the one or more modules being configuredto cause the content server to: record a policy for the delivery ofcontent to the wireless device; initiate content delivery to thewireless device; evaluate the policy to determine whether new contentfor delivery is deliverable to the wireless device; deliver content whenthe policy is satisfied; and decline delivery of content when the policyis not satisfied.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the policy isrecorded to permit delivery of content via a high cost connection whenbandwidth usage is within a predetermined bandwidth range over apredetermined period of time, and the policy is recorded to declinedelivery of content via a high cost connection when bandwidth usage isoutside of a predetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined periodof time; and the content is delivered to the wireless device via atleast one of a non-carrier communication mode and tethered mode oftransmission when bandwidth usage is outside of the predeterminedbandwidth range.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the content includesmedia files that have a relatively high transmission cost.
 4. The systemof claim 1, wherein the policy is set for a group of users sharingpooled bandwidth, and the one or more modules cause the server toevaluate whether additional bandwidth is available from the pool whenthe policy has been exceeded, calculate a new maximum bandwidthallotment using a formula based on the size of the remaining content,and communicate the new allotment to the wireless device.
 5. The systemdevice of claim 1, wherein the policy is based on at least one of:bandwidth available, bandwidth cost, type of content to be transmitted,size of the content to be transmitted and mode of transmission to thewireless device, and the mode of transmission is at least one of:carrier, non-carrier, physically tethered and roaming.
 6. A method formanaging bandwidth in content delivery from a push content server to awireless device, the method comprising: recording a policy, on at leastone of the content server and the wireless device, for delivery ofcontent to the wireless device; initiating content delivery to thewireless device; evaluating the policy to determine whether new contentfor delivery is deliverable to the wireless device; delivering contentto the wireless device when the policy is satisfied; and decliningdelivery of content when the policy is not satisfied.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein: the policy is recorded to permit delivery of contentvia a high cost connection when bandwidth usage is within apredetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined period of time, andthe policy is recorded to decline delivery of content via a high costconnection when bandwidth usage is outside of a predetermined bandwidthrange over a predetermined period of time; the content is delivered tothe wireless device via at least one of a non-carrier communication modeand tethered mode of transmission when bandwidth usage is outside of thepredetermined bandwidth range; declining is performed by one of theserver and the wireless device; and the method further comprisesphysically connecting the wireless device to a networked content sourcewhen the tethered mode of transmission is used.
 8. The method of claim7, wherein content is pushed to the wireless device without userintervention, and the content includes media files that have arelatively high transmission cost.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein thepolicy is set for a group of users sharing pooled bandwidth, and furthercomprising evaluating whether additional bandwidth is available from thepool when the policy has been exceeded, calculating a new maximumbandwidth allotment using a formula based on the size of the remainingcontent, and communicating the new allotment to the wireless device. 10.The method of claim 6, wherein the policy is based on at least one of:bandwidth available, bandwidth cost, type of content to be transmitted,size of the content to be transmitted and mode of transmission to thewireless device, and the mode of transmission is at least one of:carrier, non-carrier, physically tethered and roaming.
 11. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the policy is recorded to permit delivery of contentvia a high cost connection when the content has a size within apredetermined range, and the policy is set to decline delivery ofcontent via a high cost connection when the content size is outside apredetermined range.
 12. The method of claim 6, wherein the policylimits delivery based on at least one of the type of content and thesource of the content.
 13. The method of claim 6, further comprisingproviding a notification on a display of the user device about thestatus of content delivery, and notifying the server when contentdelivery is declined.
 14. The method of claim 6, further comprisingqueuing the content for later delivery after content delivery isdeclined, and performing at least one of removing, transferring anddeleting the content from the queue when the wireless device isconnected via a low cost connection.
 15. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising reducing the rate of delivery of content before decliningdelivery of content.
 16. A wireless device for managing bandwidth incontent delivery from a push content server to the wireless devicecomprising: a processor for controlling operation of the wirelessdevice; a first input device coupled to the processor for accepting aninput; at least one display device coupled to the processor forcommunicating an output to the user; a communications subsystem coupledto the processor for communicating with a communications network, thecommunications network including a at least one content serverconfigurable for delivering push content to the wireless device; amemory coupled to the processor; and a storage device coupled to theprocessor; the wireless device including one or more modules formanaging bandwidth in content delivery from a push content server to thewireless device, the one or more modules being configured to cause thewireless device to: record a policy for the delivery of content to thewireless device; initiate content delivery to the wireless device;evaluate the policy to determine whether new content for delivery isdeliverable to the wireless device; accept delivery of content when thepolicy is satisfied; and decline delivery of content when the policy isnot satisfied.
 17. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein: the policyis recorded to permit delivery of content via a high cost connectionwhen bandwidth usage is within a predetermined bandwidth range over apredetermined period of time, and the policy is recorded to declinedelivery of content via a high cost connection when bandwidth usage isoutside of a predetermined bandwidth range over a predetermined periodof time; the content is delivered to the wireless device via at leastone of a non-carrier communication mode and tethered mode oftransmission when bandwidth usage is outside of the predeterminedbandwidth range; and the wireless device is physically connected to anetworked content source when the tethered mode of transmission is used.18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the device is configured toreceive push content without user intervention, and the content includesmedia files that have a relatively high transmission cost.
 19. Thewireless device of claim 16, wherein the policy is set for a group ofusers sharing pooled bandwidth, and the one or more modules cause thewireless device to evaluate whether additional bandwidth is availablefrom the pool when the policy has been exceeded, calculate a new maximumbandwidth allotment using a formula based on the size of the remainingcontent, and communicate the new allotment to the server.
 20. Thewireless device of claim 16, wherein the policy is based on at least oneof: bandwidth available, bandwidth cost, type of content to betransmitted, size of the content to be transmitted and mode oftransmission to the wireless device, and the mode of transmission is atleast one of: carrier, non-carrier, physically tethered and roaming.